Paul Merton's writing a script for a film

'Have I Got News For You' team captain Paul Merton is taking a new step in his career and has penned a comedy/thriller screenplay for a film

Paul Merton is writing a film screenplay.

The comedian has been a team captain of the popular 'Have I Got News For You' for 27 years, but he's now determined to try his hand at something new and is penning the script for a new movie - even though he's been knocked back in the past.

Speaking to the Radio Times magazine, the 57-year-old star said: "It's a comedy thriller and it's like starting again. I have no reputation or anything in film, so I've had rejection letters. But it's in development now. We'll have to wait and see."

Although the actor has worked on a number of TV shows, his new movie screenplay will mark the first time he has worked on the silver screen.

Despite being on the BBC panel show for nearly three decades, Paul says he is still there every week and no one thinks he looks "bored".

He said: "Nobody says I look tired or bored in 'Have I Got News For You' - although yes I sometimes looked p***ed off because of who I'm sitting next to.

"But I'm genuinely there every week doing the best I can do. In our first programme we showed Donald Trump, then North Korea and I could feel the audience tightening up which was strange.

"Our job is to untighten them really - it's better they don't tighten up in the first place. So the next week we did houmous disappearing off supermarket shelves, of course."

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' iconic 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' album, Paul is also working on a Radio 2 documentary about the fab four - who were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.